Posts Tagged ‘Walla Walla’

One of my all time favorite sauces for pasta is a rich bolognese. Originated in Bologna, Italy the traditional version incorporates beef with pancetta and according to Accademia Italiana della Cucina there is an official recipe that should be followed. My version however kicks it up a bit by mingling beef, veal and pork which to me creates a distinct taste and texture.

One of basic items used is a basic battuto or you may have heard it called sofrito which is a simple combination of onion, carrot and celery, not unlike the French Mirepoix it’s used to give a sweet underlying flavor.

As with some of my other recipes this one is great to make a large batch as it freezes well and can be used in a lasagna or as a gravy for pasta such as tagliatelle or rigatoni.

You will need:

Beef Chuck  One pound, ground to medium in a food processor, you can purchase pre-ground but I find the texture too smooth.Pork Shoulder  One pound, ground to medium in a food processor, again you can purchase pre-ground.Veal Shoulder  One pound, ground to medium or pre-ground. Alternatively you can use ground turkeyOnion  One large sweet or about one cup, such as Walla Walla or VidaliaCarrot  Two large or about one cupCelery  three stalks or about one cupGarlic  Two clovesTomato Paste  four TBSPWhite Wine  use a good dry such as Chardonnay, two cupsWhole Milk &#151 Two cupsDried Oregano &#151 One TBSPOlive Oil &#151 Two TBSPSea Salt/Pepper  Two tsp each

Rough chop the onion, carrot and celery, place in a food processor and grind to a fine dice, set aside. In a large bowl place the beef, pork and veal/turkey and mix until well combined. Dice the pancetta to about ⅛” dice, set aside.

Heat a sauté pan large enough to hold all of the protein to medium high add the olive oil. Sauté the meat(s) until most of the pink is gone. Remove the meat from the pan and strain out all of the juice left, set aside. In the same pan add the pancetta and sauté until crisp then add the battuto and sauté until translucent.

If there isn’t enough fat left from the pancetta add a little olive oil. Make an opening in the center of the pan and add the crushed garlic, sauté until the garlic is just softened. Stir well to combine, make an opening in the center of the pan and add the tomato paste, sauté until it loosens up a bit and then stir all to combine. Return the meat to the pan, add the oregano and mix well, sauté until warmed through. Spread the meat out into a level layer and add the white wine. Cook through until the wine is dissipated add the milk and cook until most of the milk is gone. If there isn’t enough liquid in the sauce you can adjust with some pasta water.

Serve immediately reserving some to cool and freeze for another day. Enjoy!